Overview & Reviews

A relative newcomer to the American marketplace, Hyundai is a Korean automaker with a product line that has improved greatly over the past decade. Hyundai cars and SUVs provide a high level of content for an affordable price, and are currently backed by one of the industry's longest warranties.

In 1947, Chung Ju Yung founded the Hyundai Civil Engineering Company. Mere months later, the outfit was bombed in the Korean War. However, the company regained its footing to distinguish itself as one of Korea's leading construction enterprises during the 1950s.

By the late 1960s, Chung had turned his attention to the automobile industry. The Korean government at that time believed that it made more sense to import vehicles than produce them domestically, and had made its opinion known. Still, Chung opted to follow his own convictions, and in 1967, he founded the Hyundai Motor Company.

The company quickly established an alliance with one of the industry's oldest automakers, signing a two-year contract with Ford in 1968 to share assembly technology. Hyundai's first car, the Cortina, was created from that partnership. The manufacturer's first car to be designed and built in Korea was the compact Pony (although the car was based on Japanese technology courtesy of Mitsubishi). The vehicle made its debut in 1974, and the following year Hyundai began exporting it to overseas markets.

Hyundai entered the U.S. market in 1986 with the introduction of its subcompact Excel. The car was an immediate hit, with its supreme affordability being a primary selling point. More than 100,000 Excels were sold stateside in the first seven months. By 1988, Hyundai had begun to produce cars using its own technology. The midsize Sonata was the first fruit borne of this endeavor.

Unfortunately, Hyundai's nascent image was soon tarnished by the poor durability and reliability of its vehicles. Sales tanked. However, rather than abandon the American market in the '90s, Hyundai chose to invest heavily in new product designs and improvements in overall quality and reliability. In 1998, Hyundai also purchased Kia, another Korean automaker, to expand its business and economies of scale.

It all started to pay off by the start of the new millennium, with the 2001 Elantra in particular showing massive improvements in overall quality, reliability and performance. Other models followed suit and the desirability of Hyundai cars increased sharply. Providing an extraordinarily long warranty period didn't hurt either.

Today's lineup is indicative of Hyundai's complete turnaround. Hyundai has a vehicle for nearly every segment, including the economical Accent subcompact, the popular Elantra compact, the midsize Sonata sedan (also available as a hybrid), sporty Genesis and Veloster coupes and a couple of stylish SUVs. Hyundai has also expanded into the entry-level and premium-level luxury sedan markets with its Genesis and Equus sedans. Having gone from being the butt of late-night TV jokes in the 1980s to a well-respected manufacturer of quality vehicles, Hyundai has created a very inspiring rags-to-riches story.

User Reviews:

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  Hyundai Respect! - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By XCELO8 - October 30 - 5:36 pm

  I trade every 3 years and wanted a smaller SUV with improved mileage and adequate room. Looked at the Equinox, Rav4, Subaru outback, and the Murano. Chose the Sante Fe due to the power, interior design, fuel mileage, ride, and backseat/storage room. Also made in America. Very good sound system and climate control.

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  wonderful! - 2010 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Paula - October 30 - 2:46 am

  Great purchase. I was looking for a safe, AWD, family, luxury-like SUV and I found that and more with this vehicle!

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  Hyundai LX, 2003 - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By E. Greet - October 30 - 2:00 am

  Totally satisfying experience. Great value for the money, many compliments from other lookers and drivers when parked almost daily. Design reminds many of "Jag S class" expecially rear lines.

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  If considering a Sonata, shop around. - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Perrott - October 30 - 2:00 am

  In the search for a mid-size sedan, shop around. The flaws that come after 2 years of driving are not worth the price I paid. I live in Canada, and paid $24,000 for the car. For that price, there are plenty of other good deals. There are too many unreliable things about the car. A 2 year old car should not be experiencing this many problems after 1 year. Maybe the Koreans just horribly botched my car, but Im stuck with it due to the horrible trade in value Im left with.

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  From 350Z to 2011 Sonata SE - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By 2011SonataSE - October 29 - 2:46 pm

  Just took delivery on a 2011 Hyundai Sonata SE. If you like what is portrayed in the Super Bowl ad (Geaux Saints) go out and take a first hand look. I came out of a Z and was a little worried about HP. It’s not dragster but with the 6 Speed VDC Trans it shifts like a dream. The exterior lines, paint form and fit are truly matched to the high end manufacture’s standards. The interior is very impressive with well thought out placement of speakers, gauges and remarkably comfortable front and rear seats. The Bluetooth microphone is very well placed and connection clarity the best I’ve ever experienced.Buy now before the discounts go away and/or the dealers realize what a catch this car is.

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  Best car for the money - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Orako - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. There is nothing to compare with the Accord or Camry. This is the best interior, exterior, mechanical... and cheapest one. The ride is very comfortable like any American car. The only thing I am a little bit disappointed is the audio. Its not bad but feel like an Aiwa. The subwoofer is not that good and I think its better to have 8 speakers rather that 6 for the limited.

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  Best Buy - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Geoff Lamm - October 29 - 5:53 am

  Have had this car for 4 years and not one problem. Use it off road on occasion and performs well. Plenty of room inside. Has met all of our needs at a great cost.

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  Most bang for the buck you can get - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kevin - October 27 - 9:16 pm

  This is an outstanding vehicle, far more for your money than anything else on the market. Great features, impressive performance, and eye catching style. The engine has a great combination of power, performance, fuel economy, and smooth operation. Everything about this car is impressive. Every time I drive the car I feel that I am in a car that has to cost over $30,000 and cant believe all this was had for just over $20,000. Hyundai stands behind their cars like no other company, and the built quality shows. This car is built to last at least 100,000 miles with minimal repairs. This may be a Korean car company, but the Sonata is built in Alabama with 35% US/Canadian made parts.

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  Dangerous Dual Clutch Transmission - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Melissa Wilson - October 27 - 4:57 pm

  10 months ago I drove my selling dealership crazy because I wanted the 2016 Tucson Limited so bad. Now I am scared to death to drive my vehicle and recommend all buyers stay away until Hyundai resolves the problem with the Dual Clutch Transmission. On three separate occasions (after 11,000 miles), I have been stopped at a traffic light and depressed the gas pedal on green. The vehicle would not move. The RPMs ran over 4,000 and the vehicle still would not move. Verified car was in Drive on the cluster/shifter and parking brake was off. I managed to get the vehicle moving after several minutes of throwing the shifter into park and then into drive and then flooring the gas pedal. In all three instances, I was incredibly lucky to not be in an accident or cause an accident. I took it to the dealership and they kept it for 5 days. They could not replicate the problem and the vehicles had no error codes. They made me feel like a fruitcake or something. They reset the transmission control module which my Hyundai Case Manager verified wont fix the problem. I have been unable to get the dealership to give me a loaner so I drive my vehicle not knowing when the problem will repeat. Will I get into an accident this time or get killed? With the complaints building on Edmunds and NHTSA, Hyundai needs to stop selling the Tucson and order all of them off the road. At a minimum, Hyundai needs to admit publicly that there is a problem and that owners should be offered loaners by Dealerships if they so request one. Also, owners should have the option of requesting that Hyundai buy the vehicles back. I dont want to give up my Tucson but I want to live more!

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  Fun Experience - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By bucem - October 27 - 3:46 pm

  Fun, Fun, Fun. Of course, this is compared to a late model Caddilac DeVille. This is the first "small" car my wife has ever liked. We find the resetting of seat, mirrors, etc. because of our size difference to be a snap. I would describe vehicle as very quick on the road.